Mary Ann Mears

I first met Suzuki when I was 12, at a conference in Urbana, Illinois. A Memphis native, I studied violin with Ethel Scrivener, and later Robert Snyder and Louise Scott at the University of Memphis, and was a member of the Memphis Youth Symphony for 5 years. After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Tennessee, studying with William Starr and earning a bachelor of music degree with a concentration in Suzuki String Techniques. The summers of 1976, 1978, 1982 and 1983 were spent studying with Dr. Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto, and observing teachers such as Miss Mori and Mr. Denda. I moved to the Denver, Colorado area in 1980 and was on the founding board of the Suzuki Association of Colorado, and ran Lakewood Talent Education with Alice Yoder until 2005. After moving back to Memphis, I taught through the University of Memphis Community Music School before starting the Suzuki Music Makers. A favorite project was the “Play it By Ear!!” Violin program at the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf for 11 years. I now reside in the Chattanooga, TN area, and I am looking forward to working with other local Suzuki teachers to broaden the presence of Suzuki’s Talent Education in the area.